US Navy

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9/11

Al Qaeda

conspiracy theories

ClandesTime 165 – Military Meta-Propaganda

Since the publication of National Security Cinema last summer, we have seen an uptick in the media coverage of the Pentagon in Hollywood, much of it originating with the Pentagon itself. This week I take a look at the PR efforts the DOD has embarked upon, about its own PR efforts in Hollywood.

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https://www.spyculture.com/clandestime-165-military-meta-propaganda/

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Entertainment Liaison Offices

Cultural Cold War

DOD

Why Does the Pentagon ████ing Hate Swearing in Movies?

One of the Pentagon's consistent bugbears when it comes to movie scripts is swearing. Whether it is from the mouths of military or civilian characters, the DOD doesn't like those ████ing cuss words. But why not? Given their various political and PR concerns why is bad language such a problem?

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https://www.spyculture.com/why-does-the-pentagon-%e2%96%88%e2%96%88%e2%96%88%e2%96%88ing-hate-swearing-in-movies/

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recruitment propaganda

How Gerard Butler Wound Up Hosting a Press Conference at the Pentagon

A few weeks ago, Hollywood star Gerard Butler found himself behind a podium at the Pentagon talking to the national press. Given how rare Pentagon press conference have become in recent months, a number of people have asked the question as to how he ended up there, and why a Scottish movie star was deployed to talk to reporters.

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https://www.spyculture.com/how-gerard-butler-wound-up-hosting-a-press-conference-at-the-pentagon/

Entertainment Liaison Offices

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The Pentagon’s China Syndrome

While some senior military officials have spoken openly about the possibility of a war between the US and China, the entertainment liaison offices appear to be working to ensure that doesn't happen.

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https://www.spyculture.com/the-pentagons-china-syndrome/

Entertainment Liaison Offices

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US Army

US Navy

USMC

ClandesTime 160 – Why Doesn’t Hollywood Make War Films Any More?

Hollywood doesn’t make war films any more. This isn’t entirely true, but compared to the post-WW2 period there are a lot less war films being made today. In this in-depth episode I offer a brief history of war movies and anti-war movies, and how the Pentagon’s policy on supporting films depicting war seems to have changed over time.

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https://www.spyculture.com/clandestime-160-why-doesnt-hollywood-make-war-films-any-more/

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Top Gun ‘Rehabilitated the Military’s Image’ After Vietnam, According to the Pentagon

The late Cold War classic Top Gun is one of the most well-liked military movies of all time. It's combination of romance, comedy and never-seen-before aerial action was made possible by extensive support from the DOD, particularly the US Navy.

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https://www.spyculture.com/top-gun-rehabilitated-the-militarys-image-after-vietnam-according-to-the-pentagon/

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How the Vietnam War changed the Pentagon’s Entertainment Liaison Offices and Helped Kill the War Movie

The Vietnam war had a huge impact. 3 million dead Vietnamese, tens of thousands of dead Americans, and millions more on both sides suffering from trauma, depression and drug and alcohol addiction. It also had a major influence on the US public’s willingness to engage in full-scale wars (at least until 9/11). It also had […]

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https://www.spyculture.com/how-the-vietnam-war-changed-the-pentagons-entertainment-liaison-offices-and-helped-kill-the-war-movie/

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The US Navy say they have 20,000 Pages of Documents on Top Gun 2

I recently filed a FOIA request for documents on Top Gun 2. Going through the entertainment liaison office reports it is clear that - just as on the original film - the Navy are taking the lead on military support. The Navy responded saying they found over 20,000 pages of potentially responsive documents, but are trying to charge me thousands of dollars to release them.

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https://www.spyculture.com/the-us-navy-say-they-have-20000-pages-of-documents-on-top-gun-2/

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Documents

foia

recruitment propaganda

US Navy

war films

How the Pentagon Rewrote The Core

2003's The Core is widely regarded as a piece of schlock, but with a sense of humour. It is certainly one the least realistic films the US military has ever supported, featuring a small craft that drills into the Earth's core so a team of scientists can nuke the core, get it spinning again and fix the problem with Earth's gravity. Yes, it's as dumb as it sounds. Equally dumb is how the Pentagon rewrote the script, and why.

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https://www.spyculture.com/how-the-pentagon-rewrote-the-core/

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ClandesTime 155 – Production Assistance Agreements or How the Pentagon Broke the Rules for Transformers - Spy Culture

Most government agencies sign contracts with Hollywood producers when they agree to provide support on a film or TV show. These are called Production Assistance Agreements, and set out the legal terms of the partnership between the government and the production company.

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https://www.spyculture.com/clandestime-155-production-assistance-agreements-or-how-the-pentagon-broke-the-rules-for-transformers/

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Change ‘One Male and One Female’ to ‘Two Male’ – Pentagon Production Notes for Transformers 3 - Spy Culture

Going back through some documents released by the Army on the Transformers films I noticed that some of the notes weren't script notes from pre-production, but were production notes from while Transformers: Dark of the Moon was filming.

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https://www.spyculture.com/change-one-male-and-one-female-to-two-male-pentagon-production-notes-for-transformers-3/

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Documents

DOD

recruitment propaganda

After Denying They Have Contracts with Hollywood, the US Navy Release Over 500 Pages of Them - Spy Culture

Two and a half years ago I asked the US Navy for various documents relating to their work with the entertainment industry, including the Production Assistance Agreements they sign with Hollywood producers. After over a year’s delay they responded saying that they don’t keep any copies of these contracts. Following an appeal and further delays […]

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https://www.spyculture.com/after-denying-they-have-contracts-with-hollywood-the-us-navy-release-over-500-pages-of-them/

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US Navy teaches politics to officers using The American President - Spy Culture

A recently-released syllabus for the US Naval Academy’s course FP130: American Government and Constitutional Development includes a section that advises students to watch and learn from the 1995 romantic comedy The American President. Bizarrely, the scene does not involve the military or foreign or security policy in any way, but is about the President trying […]

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https://www.spyculture.com/us-navy-teaches-politics-to-officers-using-the-american-president/

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Cover Up: After More than 2 Years, the US Navy Releases an Entirely Redacted Set of Movie Script Notes - Spy Culture

In March 2016 I submitted a request to the US Navy for copies of entertainment liaison office reports, script notes and production assistance agreements. Over a hundred emails and three appeals later they have finally released some script notes to me, but the document is almost entirely redacted.

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https://www.spyculture.com/cover-up-after-more-than-2-years-the-us-navy-releases-an-entirely-redacted-set-of-movie-script-notes/

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ClandesTime 131 – The Science and Entertainment Exchange - Spy Culture

The Science and Entertainment Exchange (or SEEX) has consulted on over 1300 films and TV shows in less than 10 years, but outside of Hollywood few people know who they are and what they do. This week we pull back the curtain to look at their activities and their agenda.

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http://www.spyculture.com/clandestime-131-science-entertainment-exchange/

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The Pentagon and the Science and Entertainment Exchange - Spy Culture

Officially, the Science and Entertainment Exchange (or SEEX) is the outreach program of the National Academy of Sciences – a non-governmental, non-partisan, non-profit honorific body who give awards and the like. In reality it is a government-funded entertainment liaison office who work closely with the military to help them accomplish their aims.

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http://www.spyculture.com/pentagon-science-entertainment-exchange/

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Subscriber Podcast #14 – How the Pentagon Rewrote Lone Survivor - Spy Culture

Lone Survivor is one of very few recent DOD-supported films that is based on real events from the war on terror. In a period where the Pentagon is more interested in Transformers and superhero movies, Lone Survivor is an exception. Reports from the military Hollywood offices called it ‘a two hour infomercial’ about US special […]

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http://www.spyculture.com/subscriber-podcast-14-pentagon-rewrote-lone-survivor/

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Top Gun – Tom and Pearse on Uncle the Podcast - Spy Culture

Aaron and Uncle invited both Pearse and myself onto Uncle the Podcast for this one-of-a-kind review of Top Gun, possibly the best piece of military propaganda ever made.

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http://www.spyculture.com/top-gun-tom-pearse-uncle-podcast/

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Trump: Triggered into Reason, Stocking the Swamp, Cold War 2.0

We Are Change

Welcome back you beautiful, amazing human beings! Just a reminder before we begin today; what you’re stressing about right now won’t even matter in a few years. So calm down relax and empower yourself with real information, which we try to provide you here on WeAreChange. In our ‘daily’ videos, which are called “What The Hell Really Happened.” Okay, your right, they’re not daily because I’m really busy.

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http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/wrc/~3/H2NO5jct0OE/

Military Industrial Complex

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International World News

National Security Cinema – New Book Reveals Government Censorship/Propaganda in Hollywood - Spy Culture

National Security Cinema is a new book that uses over 4,000 pages of documents to reveal government censorship and propaganda in Hollywood. From the Pentagon's rewriting of James Bond to the CIA's manipulation of Meet the Parents this is the biggest and best book ever written about military-intelligence propaganda in the entertainment industry.

Violent Sadism and a Mink Glove – How the BBFC Censored Thunderball - Spy Culture

The James Bond films, like the books on which they are based, have always pushed the boundaries of acceptable portraits of sex and violence. Documents from the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) show how for Thunderball they reviewed the script, recommending many changes if the film was to achieve the 'A' certificate that the producers wanted.

Marine Corps emails on The Sum of All Fears - Spy Culture

2002's The Sum of All Fears was the fourth major film adaptation of Tom Clancy's spy novels and perhaps the most visually spectacular. The part where terrorists nuke the Super Bowl, destroying Baltimore in the process, is one of the best nuking-a-city scenes ever committed to film.

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http://www.spyculture.com/marine-corps-emails-the-sum-of-all-fears/

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Russia Memorandum on Syria “Suspended” by Putin after Trump Attack

We Are Change

MEMORANDUM ON AIR SAFETY “SUSPENDED” ACCORDING TO RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY.

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http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/wrc/~3/StR44TZHFaE/

Middle East Conflict / War on Terror

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International World News

Russian Defence Ministry

ClandesTime 094 – How Many Films has the Pentagon Supported? - Spy Culture

The Department of Defense is the government agency with the largest and most influential operations in Hollywood. But to how many films have they provided production assistance? How many movies have they supported?

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http://www.spyculture.com/clandestime-094-many-films-pentagon-supported/

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Updated ‘Complete’ List of DOD Films - Spy Culture

Sometimes the Freedom of Information Act is a strange beast and you receive something you didn't ask for, but are still happy to get. That happened to me recently when in response to a request about the Pentagon's Hollywood database I received an updated list of DOD Films - movies that were assisted by the DOD.

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http://www.spyculture.com/updated-complete-list-of-dod-films/

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‘Bin Laden Burial’ Took Place on Top Gun Ship - Spy Culture

Following the raid in Abbottabad in May 2011 the body of 'Osama Bin Laden' was flown to Bagram Air Force Base in Afghanistan, where Admiral William McRaven did not initially recognise him. From there the body was flown to the USS Carl Vinson, an aircraft carrier, where an autopsy was performed before a burial at sea. This is the same aircraft carrier that 25 years earlier featured in the film Top Gun.

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http://www.spyculture.com/bin-laden-burial-took-place-top-gun-ship/

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Blazing Saddles, Dick Jokes and Racism in the US Navy - Spy Culture

Blazing Saddles is one of the greatest American spoofs of all time, satirising not just Westerns and the whole cowboy archetype but also the racism prevalent in much of Western society. It remains one of my favourite comedies, and possibly Mel Brooks' best film. While the film itself was not sponsored by the state (at least as far as I know) it did turn up in a recent Navy investigation into misconduct by a senior officer.

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http://www.spyculture.com/blazing-saddles-racism-us-navy/

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ClandesTime 075 – The Secret World of Tom Clancy Part II The Government Connections - Spy Culture

Tom Clancy's books are known for their technical accuracy, their political realism and their curious ability to foreshadow future events. In this episode we explore his government connections - to the FBI, CIA, Pentagon and the White House. We examine whether these connections are what enabled Clancy to write such prophetic fiction, and the impact of that on his readers.

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http://www.spyculture.com/clandestime-075-secret-world-tom-clancy-part-ii-government-connections/

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Predictive Programming

The Pentagon, NASA and Comic-Con - Spy Culture

Comic-Con has been a useful (and fun) hunting ground for the Pentagon's entertainment liaison offices for years, but NASA have recently jumped on the bandwagon. The combination of nerds and sci-fi fanatics has proven too alluring to ignore and so one of the world's biggest scientific institutions has joined the world's largest military organisation in exploiting this opportunity.

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http://www.spyculture.com/the-pentagon-nasa-and-comic-con/